Coal Resources

The presence of coal deposits in Pakistan was known before independence, but its economic value was highlighted in 1980 when large reserves of coal were discovered in the Lakhra and Sonda areas of Sindh Province. The discovery of another huge coal deposit of 175.5 billion tonnes in an area of 10,000 sq. km in Tharparkar District of Sindh has provided a quantum increase in the coal resources of Pakistan. After this discovery, Pakistan is now the 6th richest nation of the world in respect of coal resources. Pakistan did not appear even on the list of coal-rich countries before the discovery of Thar Coal. Coal resources available to Pakistan exist in all four provinces and in AJK. The total coal reserves are estimated at 185.5 billion tonnes, details whereof are in Table 1.

 

Table 1: PAKISTAN COAL RESOURCES (As on June 2003)

 

  PROVINCE                                  COAL RESOURCES                         HEATING VALUE    

          Coal Field                                                 Million Tonnes                                                Btu/lb  

 SINDH

Thar                                                                         175,506                                  6,244 – 11,045

Lakhra                                                                          1,328                                  5,503 –   9,158

Sonda-Jherruck                                                          5,523                                  5,219 – 13,555

Meting- Jhimpir                                                             473                                 5,219 –   8,612

Indus East                                                                   1,777                                  7,782 –   8,660

Badin                                                                                16                                  11,415 – 11,521

Sub-Total:-                 184,623

 

BALOCHISTAN

 

Sor-Range/Degari                                                            50                               11,245 – 13,900

Khost-Sharigh-Harnai-Ziarat                                         88                                 9,637 – 15,499

Mach                                                                                 23                               11,110 – 12,937

Duki                                                                                   56                               10,131 – 14,357

Sub-Total:-                        217